Tracker-bar for self-playing musical instruments.



L. B. DOMAN. SELF PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION IILED SEPT. 4, 1906.

TRACKER BARFOR Patented Sept. 24, 1912.

.NrrnD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS B. DOMAIN, OF {ELBRIDGLQ NEW YORK.

TRACKER-BAR FOB SELF-IPLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS 1,039.658. I Application filed September To alZ whom it may! concern: a

' Be'git known that ILLEWIS B. Dorian, of Elbridge, in the county of Onondaga, in the; State of New York, have invented new and! useful Improvements in Tracker-Bars for? Se1f-Playing Musical Instruments, of whichi the following, taken in connection with thei accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and? exact. description. e This invention relates to improvements in metal trackenbars of the class set forth in pending applications No. 249,250, filed March 9, 1905, and No. 329,692, filed August: 8, 1906, both of which applications refer to the general structure of the' self-playing musical instrument. .The essentialohject is to provide a solid metal tracker-bar, as distinguished from sectional bars, in which the joints arealways more or less subject to leakage of air.

Another purpose is to provide the trackerbar with series of vent ducts, portions of which opening from the inner face, are cylindrical, while other portions opening from the outer face, are elongated, or in other Words, the cylindrical openings terminate in the outer face in elongated slots of substantially the same length as the diameters of their respective bores, hutconsiderable narrower transversely of the tracker-bar.

A still further object is to permanently fit into the cylindrical bores suitable metal tubes having their outer ends disposed in diverging planes to permit them to he arranged close together and still be able to receive the flexible tubes or ducts which lead to the primary pneumatics, not shown, of the soundproduoing action.

In the drawings Figure i is a face view,

partly broken away, and. partly in section of the trackenhar embodying various features of my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views taken respectively on lines 2-2, Fig. 1, and 3-3, Fig. 2. Fig. l, is an inner face view of a portion of the hackerb'arfshcwing particularly the cylindrical bores as terminating in elongated slots at the outer face of the bore.

This tracker-bar, as -l is especially adaptedzfor use with a perforated music-- sheet for. self-playing musical instruments, and is preferably made of solid metal, of uniform cross sectional area from end to end so that itmay be readily rolled in long bars and out the desired length. for use in the self-playing instrument. The inner or back Specification elf Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 24 1912.

4,1906, Serial No. 333,213.

face of the bar is preferably flat, while the outer face is slightly curved transversely, from edge to edge to conform to theiposition of the bar with reference to the winding and rewinding rollers, and at the same time cause the perforated music-sheet to lie closely against said face at the vent Openings. These vent openings are made trans. versely through the bar, side b side, in a plane substantially parallel with the op osite edges of the bar, each openingconsisting of a cylindrical bore 2 opening from the inner or back face and; an elongated slotted portion -3 opening from the front face of the bar The cylindrical. bores 2- are drilled from the hack to a point close to the front face of the bar, afterwhicha suitable dr'i'ft' or punch'is inserted into the .bore and pressure applied thereto to punch or press the thin remaining portions of thepunched through the front face of the bores of the bar, said bar has a series of narrow vents or slots extendlng through the longi- .tudinal center of its front face in the same lengthwise plane parallel with the sides of the bar, and centrally with reference to their central bores --2.

The particular structural feature which applicant wishes to emphasize in this bar, is that it is made of solid metal and provided with a series of cylindrical cores centrally therein and extending from the hack to a point in proximity to the front, leaving a comparatiyely thin front wall to each bore through. which narrow slots -3 are A 1! L 4 i punched, or otherwise iornied, so that the bores are comparatively long, forming extra long hearings or sockets for the reception and retention of a series of metal tubesor ducts --5, said bores terminating innarrow slots or vents in the front face of the tracker bar. The tubes 5- are inserted with a comparatively tight fit witl1in their respective bores or sockets and are permanentlysoldered to said bar at the oints to prevent leakage of air. Another advantage is that tracker-bar proper being made in one piece, is entirely free from joints, paris made in sections and channeled in the usual manner to form the vents. It is now so that alternating tubes are disposed in differentlongitudinal planes to permit the flexible tubes or ducts, as 6-, to be readily attached thereto, or removed therefrom.

In Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown the specific means of attaching the tracker-bar to the side pieces -A of the case for the musicroll, said means consisting essentially of Washers -7 which are rotatingly mounted upon pivotal screws -'8- and adapted to be turned to bring portions of their peripheries into suitable slots 9, in the opposite edges of the tracker-bar. This forms a convenient means for readily attaching the tracker-bar to the music-roll-case and at the same time permits said tracker-bar to be adjusted a limited distance lengthwise to bring the tiacker ducts into alinement with the perforations in the music-sheet, the pivotal screws -8-- and their disks -7- serving as a clamping means to retain or hold the tracker-bar in its operative or adjusted position.

What I claim is v 1. In combination, a one-piece metal tracker bar having slots in its opposite edges, fastening disks inserted in said slots to hold the bar in place and supports for the disks.

2. A tracker-bar having its opposite edges provided with lengthwise grooves, supporting disks entering said grooves to permit longitudinal movement of and to guide said tracker-bar and supports for the disks.

In witness whereof my hand this 31st day of August, 1906.

LEWIS B. DOMAN.

Witnesses: O; L. HAMLIN, M. ELLIOTT.

I have hereunto set 

